The Pieces Left Behind
by Breezy and Wheezy Works
Summary: After everything with Esther,Kate decides it time for her children to start a new life.They move to a new town, she gets a new job and Daniel starts a new school.Daniel starts to leave the past behind,but some things just are'nt meant to be forgotten.
1. Things Begin To Unfold

**I loved the movie Orphan and I simply think Jimmy Bennett is really cute, so I wrote a story about it. Chapter 2 will be more into the swing of things and outside the movie.**

**This is my first story here, so be gentle!**

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**Chapter 1: Things Begin To Unfold**

**_More than a few people in my life have called me suspicious - hell, even paranoid- but that doesn't mean my suspicions about Esther weren't true. It didn't mean Esther wasn't a crazy, homicidal psychopath, or a murdering machine out to get my family, it just meant I didn't trust everyone. I'm not paranoid. Esther's really evil. Right?_**

**_-Kate Coleman_**

Maybe she really was just paranoid. But Kate could have sworn she saw that devil child raise the piece of cinder block over her only son's head. She could have sworn she saw Max push her down. But with the tree house burning down and Daniel's motionless body distracting her, her mind was whirling with confusion.

Kate was running up the hill, as fast as she could in the snow without slipping,almost in tears. "Oh God,oh my God! DANIEL!" She screamed as she ran over to her Danny. "Move away! Move away from the fire!" Kate shooed Esther and Max away.

"Daniel,oh God. Daniel? Mummy's right here. Can you here me?" She ever so gently brushed his face. It was ghostly pale white and blood ran out of his nose.

He let out a soft moan. Hope rose in her chest.

"Please wake up. Honey,mommy's right here. Okay? Your gonna be alright." Kate looked up to Esther with a mixed look of horror and disgust. Suspicion grew strongly in her. She just knew what Esther had done. Esther had burned down the tree house in attempt to kill Daniel.

Esther had tried to kill her son.

*~*The Hospital*~*

"I will leave tonight." Kate stated at John angrily. She just wanted her children safe. It was too late she failed to keep Daniel safe, he had been hurt by _her_. She wouldn't let Esther hurt Max too.

"If that's what you want,I will leave tonight! On one condition. Esther goes too!" She yelled, pointing at Esther sitting in the waiting area. She didn't care if the brat saw her. In fact, she wanted Esther to see how much she hated her.

Kate hated Esther with every fiber of her being. She was so angry at her. She was angry at John too. How could he even consider the possibility that their Danny had burned down the tree house? He had loved it! Esther had tried to kill him! She was sure. All that was left to do was to convince everyone else what Esther had done.

*~*LIMBO*~*

Daniel blinked open his eyes slowly. He found himself laying down on soft grass. He slowly sat up and found himself in no pain, surprisingly.

He looked around, confused.

It was a beautiful, empty meadow.

Air blew a gentle breeze slowly moving the flowers back and forth. The meadow was a stunning variation of vibrant colors and golden wheat that weaved spaciously in between.

Daniel blinked- and a girl appeared- from nowhere.

The girl had golden locks that matched the wheat. Her eyes were the same amber-gold as the oddly shaded, cloudless sky. Her features truly were angelic- leading one to believe she was an angel. As to prove his theory, she wore a long, silk ivory gown. As beautiful as she was, she couldn't be older than nine or ten.

"Welcolme, Daniel. I am Rowan. I am an angel sent to accompany you in your time in Limbo."

Fear jolted through Daniel. What? "L-l-limbo?" He asked shakily.

Rowan nodded sadly. "Esther had tried to kill you. When you tried to escape the burning tree house, the ceiling gave out and you slipped. You jumped on a piece of plywood nailed between the two trees. But your fingers slipped and you fell. You were gravely injured."

Fear overtook him. He remembered. All too well.

"Am I going to die?" Rowan's eyes down casted. "Esther does not want you breathing."

*~*Hospital*~*

All of a sudden, Daniel's body stiffened. He let a small, wheezed breath escape. His throat was sore. He had inhaled too much smoke. Breathing hurt too much. Most of his body stung, ached or just plain hurt.

He slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were a little teary in the corners, so his vision was slightly blurred. But he saw her clear as day.

Esther held a pillow above him. At the sight of his opened eyes, she brought it down forcefully on his face.

Daniel tried to scream for help, but the soft pillow muffled his screams. He tried to thrash, but pain shot up his left wrist, making it too agonizingly painful to move, and Esther had his other arm pinned down with her leg, rendering it useless.

The combination of the pain in his arm and his lungs about to burst, it was unbearable. With each breath unable to enter his lungs, Daniel's head spun faster and faster and he got weaker and weaker.

He was becoming unable to fight Esther off. His vision blackened. Daniel's arms dropped from as far up as they had gone as his body weakened into stiff, small movements,then nothing.

Esther felt Daniel's resistance weaken, and she gingerly lifted the pillow.

A smile crept on her sinister face when she saw how his pretty blue-grey eyes stared out blankly, lifeless.

Satisfied, she set down the pillow, placed the breathing mask back on, and pulled the finger pulse off and placed back on Daniel's finger. Esther slipped out into a separate hall than the one she entered as she heard Daniel flat line and the doctors rush in. She walked swiftly down the hall to go get her 'soda.'

She smiled the whole time.

*~*LIMBO*~*

Daniel returned to the meadow where Rowan awaited.

Tears began to slip down Daniel's cheeks as he realized what had just happened. He had died.

"Rowan,no. Please no."Rowan smiled sadly. "Fret not, Daniel. Your soul is to be saved. You are over all good natured." Her beautiful face twisted then. "Esther however is not."

"Rowan, what do you mean?" Daniel asked, confused.

Rowan walked slowly over to him, and she rested a small hand on his shoulder.

He glanced at it, and then into her golden eyes. They were serious.

"Daniel you have been unkind at moments. Its true."

He stared at his feet.

_I suppose she's right._ He thought. But nothing bad enough to die over.

He thought back to the time when he shot the pigeon with the paintball. It made him shiver.

"But I know of your true nature. It is kind."

He looked up at her.

"You will live. Life will be hard in times ahead, but you will live."

He hugged her, unable to with hold his happiness.

"Thank you Rowan."

Rowan smiled and gently pushed him off.

"There is no need to thank me. Its my job to make sure you live. If I let you die, what kind of guardian angel would I be?"

Daniel looked at her funny.

"But your only ten!"

Rowan smiled kindly.

"No, Danny. Actually, I'm nineteen."

In a flash of brilliant white light, Rowan grew six inches taller, her locks grew a great length and they darkened to a milky brown.

Rowan bent down so she met at eye's length with Daniel.

"Fifteen years ago my boyfriend tried to kill me in a house fire, much like Esther did to you. Then he smothered me at the hospital and I died."

Her smile was soft.

She kissed Daniel's forehead.

"You've got a long life ahead. In heaven, you're eternally the age you die. You can change your appearance to be younger, but you'll never be older. You'd be ten forever."

Daniel grinned at the idea at being ten forever.

Rowan sighed.

"It may seem cool now, but its not. Believe me its not. Its horrible. You'll never be able to fall in love. Never marry. Never have kids. Never experience the thrills of being a teenager or a parent. Does that sound fun?"

Daniel frowned.

"I guess not."

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**Yeah, not much of a cliffhanger....But Chapter 2's better. It skips two weeks ahead, dealing with the aftermath of Esther's rampage.**


	2. Reality Check

**Oh-Kayy....Super weird chapter... That's okay though....I was listening to "Adam's Song" By: Blink182 when I was typing this out, and that song makes me feel weird. Cuz I can relate. That's probably why this chapter is weird. Because I am weird. That explains a lot... Sorry, rambling.... **

**Chapter 2: Reality Check**

**She was evil, but she had helped me in some sort of way. Esther had given me much clarity and helped me with some decisions. I sure the hell knew I would never adopt again. **

**Or at least that's what I had thought at the time.**

**_- Kate Coleman_**

*~*Two Weeks Later. On a Friday*~*

For the past two weeks, Kate's life had been hell.

Each day she'd stress over court, miss John, worry about finding a job and fret over Daniel. She'd spend her nights living through nightmares.

They were all generally the same, but each one was a little different. Some nights she dreamt Esther was still alive and ready for vengeance. Other nights, Daniel had died in the tree house fire or at the hospital. Occasionally she dreamt of John's death. A lot of the nightmares tied to that single day Esther had died. But the worst times was when all the events happened in one nightmare. But alas, she always woke to find her nightmares were all too close to only relief she got was knowing Esther was dead and Daniel was alive.

Kate would spend her days in the court room, looking for a job and a house, and visting Daniel in the hospital. He still hadn't waken from his flat-line.

She remembered that night, the doctors had found it odd that his eyes were open when he had flat lined, the cops had found it suspicous. Sure enough they had found pillow fibers on his lips and lighter fluid on a pillow - confirming it had been Esther.

The doctors had also found it weird Daniel hadn't waken up- all though Dr. Jennings had said it was because since he had fallen he had bruised- even opened some eternal organs from his fall- and he had been smothered, his lungs and most of his other organs were weak and not working at full capacity.

They honestly had no idea to when he'd wake 's what scared Kate the most.

But her chaotic life had finally slowed.

Esther's case would soon be coming to a close. Her finger prints had been recovered off John's murder weapon, and her violent history had been reviewed, along with evidence of other crimes Esther had committed. The jury had decided Esther's death had been under self-defense and murder charges on Kate where dropped.

Kate had found a nice, small affordable home and a job as a fifth grade teacher at an elementary school in Mountainview. Kate and Max had already moved in, and most of their belongings were unpacked.

Because Kate now lived in Mountainview, two towns away from their old home, Daniel would be going to Mountainview Elementary- where Kate worked. She had started three days ago, and she liked her job. She thought it would be great that Daniel would be going to the same school as she worked, because she can watch over Daniel since he'd be a little frail when he'd wake up.

But Kate didn't know when that would be. Dr. Jennings said he would be able to go home the same day he woke up- as long as Kate kept a close eye over him.

The doctor said Daniel could act very differently than he used to- it was probably a given. In fact, she was certain at such a young age, Daniel would show signs of Post- Traumatic- Stress- Disorder.

Dr. Jennings said his reactions could vary. He could have nightmares, be sensitive to loud nosies, act emotionaly detached- and much more. It scared Kate to think of her child having PTSD, but she would deal with it. As long as Daniel was awake, she would be happy.

Now Kate sat on the right side of his bed, holding the hand that was not broken. She almost cried- like she wanted to every time she entered that hospital room- but she didn't. Kate had to be grateful for his life. His neck was no longer sprained, his cuts and bruises had healed, his left femur bone was no longer bruised, and didn't have too many serious injuries.

Kate squeazed her son's hand. "Please wake up, honey."

*~*Dreamland of the Subconscious*~*

Daniel had left Limbo a little while ago, and he just dreamed. A lot of the time he had nightmares. But from somewhere in the depths of his mind, a vision of Rowan would help him through it.  
"Please wake up. honey."

Sometimes Daniel would hear his mom's voice. He wasn't exactly sure where it had come from, but he'd always try to follow it.

It'd always lead to failure, and Daniel would find her voice always led himself to a snowy landscape. Just like all the other times, her voice led him to the life ridden wasn't beautiful landscape either. It was bleak and dreary.

All he could see for miles was only thing there besides the snow, was a single withering willow tree. For some reason the snow gave Daniel a feeling of dread. He could never place his finger on it. That's when he'd hear the dreadful cawing.

Daniel would look up to see a black raven circling over head.

Then the snow would bleed red with blood,the sky would turn black, and his dream would transform into a nightmare.

Out of a pile of red snow, a figure would rise, holding a box of matches.

When Daniel would realize it was Esther, he'd try to run, but the flames would leap in front of him, forming a circle of fire suddenly surrounding him, stopping all escape.

Daniel would try to call for help but he would inhale too much smoke.

The flames would close in closer, and they would bounce around, taunting his life.

While this would happen, Daniel would look through the blaze, to see Esther's evil smile, watching him die with a look that could only describe as that of what the Devil would wear.

But this nightmare was different.

A flash of white light cleared the flames.

Daniel coughed, and Esther's face twisted as she flung around to the direction the light had come from.

Daniel looked up from the ground to see nineteen year-old Rowan walking toward him.

Esther scowled.

"What are you doing here? You can't be here! This is my region, Leave!"

Rowan's face remained emotionless.

"It is time your terror has taken a break."

Rowan snapped her fingers and Esther faded with a swoosh.

The blood in the snow seemed to disappear, leaving the snow white again. "What are you doing here?" Daniel asked.

Rowan offered her hand to help him up, and Daniel gratefully took it. "Its time you finally leave this place Daniel."

He looked up.

"Really?"

"Really."

*~*Hospital*~*

"Mrs. Coleman? Visting hours are over." A nurse popped her head in, and then back out.

Kate sighed.

Dropping Daniel's hand, Kate stood up.

"Come on baby, it late. We have to go home."Kate said as she grabbed Max's hand and headed toward the door with a heavy heart.

Kate reached for the door handle.

"Mom?"

The whisper was so low, so barely audible, Kate almost missed it.

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around.

His eyes were barely opened-but they were open.

Kate's eyes filled with tears.

"Danny."

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	3. Author's Note

**I'm really sorry for not updating. But I've been really busy with school and friends, so I have'nt had time to go on fanfiction much. **

**And I can't find my journal which I orignally wrote this story in. I own like 50 notebooks which I've all written stories in, and I need to flip through each one to find my Orphan story (its only like 7 chapters long so far) because I forgot which one I wrote the Orphan story. I sort of grew out of my 'Orphan' stage, so I've stopped writing it, but I promise to try and update as soon as I find it. I'll look for it all weekend!**

**Thanks for the fantastic reviews! They really made me smile!**

**Promise to update as soon as I find my journal!**


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